East Sacramento News - March 02, 2017

March 2, 2017 | www.valcomnews.com

East Sacramento News — B r i n g i n g y o u c o m m u n i t y ne w s f o r 2 6 y e a r s —

Don’t feed the birds especially now at McKinley Pond

See page 5

Door-to-door. ........................................................4 Arts & Activities.....................................................8 Home Improvement Guide. ................................11

What’s new at McKinley Village

What’s Happening. .............................................13 Life in the Village.................................................14

See page 3

Tahoe Park resident and YMCA board member held 12-hour bike-a-thon on his birthday

See page 6

East Sacramento News w w w. va l c o m n e w s . c o m

E-mail stories & photos to: editor@valcomnews.com

Vol. XXVI • No. 5

East Sacramento News is published on the first and third Thursday of the month in the area bounded by Business 80 on the west, the American River on the north and east and Highway 50 on the south.

2709 Riverside Blvd.

Sacramento, CA 95818 t: (916) 429-9901 f: (916) 429-9906

Publisher...................................................................David Herburger Editor............................................................................... Monica Stark Art Director.......................................................................John Ochoa Graphic Designer..................................................Annin Greenhalgh Advertising Director................................................... Jim O’Donnell Advertising Executives: Melissa Andrews, Steve Crowley, Linda Pohl Copyright 2017 by Valley Community Newspapers Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Cover photo by: Sophie Stark Other photos: Stephen Crowley Monica Stark

Arden Oaks!

4141 Winding Creek Rd.

3 bed, 2 bath home on large corner lot. Stunning yard & patio great for indoor/outdoor entertainment. Upgrades and designer touch throughout.

Co-listing Agent: Amy Barkley Morris CalBRE# 01919329

KURT CAMPBELL PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE CONSULTANT

956-5878

CalBRE# 01064713

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Uniting community through song Sacramento Master Singers respond to recent violent tragedies with upcoming concert Laura I. Winn

Mourning and healing through music are the driving forces of Love Heals, a chorale concert by Sacramento Master Singers. Created in response to recent violent tragedies in America and abroad, including the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting and the Paris Bataclan concert shooting, the concert aims to unite the community through song. With selections from Mozart, Lin-Manuel Miranda, John Lennon and John Legend, and spoken word by local poet Laura Cook AKA immoBme az.i.B.we, the diverse repertoire intends to evoke both an outpouring of grief and a call for peace. Acclaimed chorale composer Jake Runestad’s song “Let My Love Be Heard” acts an inspirational guide for the two-andhalf hour program held on March 18 and 19 at First United Methodist Church.

“This concert is an opportunity for the community to gather together to share grief and anger and to be soothed and comforted,” stated alto singer Carol McCormick of River Park, who first joined the chorale in 1983 and serves as vice chair on the Sacramento Master Singers Board of Directors.

For people who are feeling unsettled by the tensions and stresses of current events, the event is intended to act as a sort of musical therapy – a way to process thoughts and feelings in a shared experience.

“Music lets us experience emotions that are hard to articulate, even when we don’t have the words,” explained McCormick who also cited Black Lives Matter and the “senseless deaths” of black Americans as catalysts for the program.

While the program hopes to encourage action “when silence is not an option,” the event is apolitical. The multi-generational chorale is made up people from all political persuasions who come together as a musical family. Regardless of whether the members identify as Republican, Democrat or Independent, choirs tend to draw people who are sensitive to marginalized populations, McCormack said.

For tenor singer Anthony Tavianini, the social justice tone of the concert comes at a time that really hits home as he has recently become more politically and socially aware.

Looking to be challenged as a vocalist, the 26year-old Midtown resident and music teacher joined the choir last August. “The group has a mindset of rising above and being at the top of the game.”

That challenge is also what drew McCormack to the group and has kept her coming back after periodic years off. Both McCormack and Tavianini have sung with other groups, but boast of the level of artistry and unity in Sacramento Master Singers.

“In chorale music, you build a connection to other people. You need a sense of collaboration for success,” explained Tavianini.

That collaboration is fostered through the understanding that no one singer is more important than another. The chorale experience is the antithesis to what Tavianini considers America’s obsession with stardom.

The 40-plus members of Sacramento Master Singers hone their craft through hours of study and practice, both as a group and as individuals.

To execute a concert that both entertains, moves and adds nuance to the texts of popular hits like “Imagine,” “True Colors” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” the choir has been meeting about six times a month to practice.

They are even taking on “Glory” from the Dr. King film, “Selma” with immoBme az.i.B.we handling the rap bars.

In addition to the re-imagined top 40 hits, the concert will feature traditional religious choral pieces and selections from classical composers. It’s an eclectic set list the group hopes will entice the community to give chorale music a try and experience its healing powers.

Love Heals is recommended for age high school and up. Showtimes are March 18 at 8 p.m. and March 19 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $22 adult, $15 senior, $10 student and available online at mastersingers.org and

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Faces and Places:

Dedication and Lighting Ceremony for New McKinley Village Way Underpass Photos by Stephen Crowley

On Monday, Feb. 13 at 5:45 p.m., Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and City Councilman Jeff Harris and community members gathered for the dedication of the McKinley Village Way Underpass.

The dedication ceremony included a multi-color light show by the underpass’s unique, state of the art LED lights. The underpass lighting system was designed by Michael Sestak, a local lighting designer who recently won top honors from the Association of Landscape Lighting Designers for his lighting of Sacramento’s historic old Governor’s Mansion.

Working with the McKinley Village development team, Sestak created a signature lighting effect which can cast variable color patterns on the ceiling of the underpass while also bathing the twelve underpass columns in light. Featuring state of the art LED lights, the installation is fully programmable providing the opportunity to change color and effects when desired, including for holidays and special occasions.

Tyler Edwards-Lohse 916.538.4883 CalBRE#01199472

9203 Lucchesi Drive 3 beds • 2 baths • 1,330 sq.ft.

TopListingAgentSacramento.com TYLER@tyleredwardslohse.HOUSE

Children's

Miracle Network homes

COMING SOON!

763 Heritage Place | $979,000

3035 Muskrat Way | $417,900

Open floor plan that takes advantage of the views. Kitchen family dining combo offers space to entertain. First floor features 4 beds and 2.5 baths. The stairs descend to the lower level with a large bonus room, built in wet bar and storage and wine closet. 2 additional beds and 1 full bath round off this expansive reverse floor plan. Private Landscaped yard backing to dedicated open space.

Light filled formal living & dinging room with soaring ceilings. The dual staircase offers entry from family & living room. The thoughtful family room & eat-in kitchen are both generous and well planned. There is a lovely master retreat with 3 additional bedrooms and 1 full bath upstairs and a half bath off hall. Large patio and backyard just waiting for those summer parties!

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

An open and bright floorplan abounds in this beautiful 3 bed, 2 bath home. The formal living room opens to the remodeled kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances and large pantry, family room and dining area. The back bonus room adds nearly 200 extra sq. ft. Energy efficient with dual pane windows and ceiling fans. Indoor laundry room, gas fireplace, patio and large walk-in closet in the master suite. www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

with Pat Lynch

The whole of East Sac is a neighborhood, but there are multiple small neighborhoods within what we’ll call the Ur neighborhood.

Most consist of two blocks facing each other, about 13 houses on each, averaging 60 residents. This is our true nucleus neighborhood, where we actually know the people and form a microcosm community. In Japan this microcosm would be idealized: we would have a name for it, a logo, slogans, banners, even neighborhood colors.

If you think this is identity politics gone berserk, you’re probably right, but it’s all the rage in Japan.

Imagine if we had to do that. You know you’d have some neighbors, bubbling with bonhomie, who’d want to hold lengthy meet-

ings to pick our identifying tribal markers. Imagine those meetings. Hours of polite but focused talk about aqua verses periwinkle. And the name. What would our name be? Somebody would say, Let’s be the 43rd Street Sparrows.

But someone else would say that over near McKinley a block was calling itself the Falcons. Who notices a sparrow when a falcon is near? More to the point, do falcons eat sparrows? (Generally, no.) But this would spark a move for a bolder name, a mammal preferably, and there would ensue meetings to consider the grey wolf, the brown bear, the elk, the coyote, the whale and so forth. The instigators of these debates would draw up lists of nominated creatures and

7707 Rush River Drive, Sacramento, CA 95831

slip them under our doors.

‘Anything but prey’ would be my response.

We live on 43rd between H and J, one artery street away from the Fabulous Forties. Having done this sort of team spirit thing in school, most of us wouldn’t thrill to the task of inventing a unique, jolly neighborhood identity. Nevertheless most of us also wouldn’t want to hurt our more clubby neighbors’ feelings, and though we would avoid the meetings, we would vote when they came around with the ballots. We would also doubtless buy the tee-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with our name logo, motto and so forth, not because we were at heart the 43rd St. Grey Wolf Pack, but to atone for our passivity and indifference.

It’s different in Japan. My niece worked on a college project there one summer and attended a ball game.

The stands were filled with fierce partisans; many dressed in like colors, all bearing neighborhood banners. They boomed forth with songs and chants cel-

ebrating their particular neighborhood units. There were even pompoms. During the breaks they faced off, attempting to out-sing and out-chant each other.

It was endless cheery mayhem, she said, under the burning sun.

Aren’t you grateful this doesn’t happen here? Imagine being forced by geography to live in an artificial tribe similar to an army unit or a sorority. Imagine having to go to Kings games all dressed up in our unit colors, yelling our slogans, screeching to drown out the cadence of the Janey Way Mongooses or those now pesky McKinley Blvd Falcons.

Research shows that in Japan summer neighborhood festivals flourish. They have “contests between groups… designed to reward teamwork rather than individual effort.” Usually each summer a Bon Ordi is held. This is an elaborate folk dance festival put on by the neighborhoods. Bon dances “foster a sense of community and preserve cultural heritage. “(Rocket News 24) Our mild equivalent is the East Sac July 4th parade.

Revere courT

Our parade is a fun collective event, but we break up afterward to do our individualistic barbecues. If we were in Japan there would be a massive daylong picnic and each block-unit would have to bring something.

Then the dancing. Thankfully we have three known good dancers in our unit—a woman and her two daughters. We could enter them in a contest and probably take away a prize. But in Japan we’d all have to jump and bump to the music.

Add the beer and the sun and you have a recipe for Urgent Care. Luckily, our microcosm also possesses three doctors.

So this is how neighborhood life would be if our entire Ur hood were somehow transported to Japan. I asked several unit neighbors how they liked the Japanese model. “Oh my God, no,” stated one. “God, no,” repeated another. But one said with interest, “We’d get pompoms?”

It was hard to conduct this inquiry because it required explaining the Japanese system first, then asking particiSee Door-to-Door, page 6

www.RevereCourt.com 916-392-3510

Memory Care

MONTHLY CAREGIVER EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR Positive Approaches to Caregiving Tuesday: March 21st at 2:00pm Presented by Ashley Morse, Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center Caring for a loved one can be physically and mentally challenging. This presentation will help you navigate through the challenges of care giving and help discover how ones attitude, stress, use of optimism, positive and negative self-talk can change your perspective of care giving.

RSVP by March 17th

Residential License #: #342700005 Day Club License #: 347001342

Revere Court Memory Care offers a Day Club, Respite & Residential Care for those with a memory impairment, also offering Support Groups and Monthly Seminars for caregivers and loved ones.

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Don’t feed the birds…especially now at McKinley Pond

By Monica Stark

editor@valcomnews.com

Now more than ever at McKinley Pond visitors should heed the signage: “Do Not Feed.” Park staff has reported that people are illegally feeding the wildfowl near the emptied ponds, which is obviously counterproductive for the renovations, and unsafe for the geese and ducks since the desire is to have them nest elsewhere during renovation. Warnings and citations to any violators may be given.

McKinley Pond originally was supposed to be done in January, but the project has been shut down for the winter and is expected to resume in early May. Due to the anticipated heavy rainfall this winter that is expected through April, construction will take two to three months to complete. The contractor will revise schedule prior to resuming work. The contractor will work on both Boat Lake in William Land Park and McKinley Pond simultaneously. The contractor is from Southern California’s Fountain Valley.

Originally, work was delayed so that wildfowl could fledge and the delay was just enough that work could not be complete before early and hard rains came.

If any nesting waterfowl is found in the near future, construction will need to be postponed.

A contractor started pumping water from the pond on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

Judy McClaver, a volunteer and neighborhood hero who has dedicated much time to the care of the pond, said that when the pond was emptied, items such as clothing, alcohol and soda containers, lots of toys, scooters, a bowling ball, a remote control boat, a fishing pole and syringes were found.

She has reported removing strollers, market carts and trash cans from this pond.

McClaver fears that by draining the water necessary for the survival of waterfowl babies to survive upon hatching without first inspecting for the presence of any active nests with eggs, contractors would destroy any active nests present.“Waterfowl nest near water for a reason. The adults need water while sit-

Photos by Sophie Stark

Shown here is a collection of photos of the McKinley Park during springtime. Note the empty McKinley Pond.

ting on the nests to provide hydration for themselves, as well as proper humidity for incubation of the eggs,” she said. Removing the water at this time, she has argued can cause them to abandon an active nest, all of which is covered by the Migratory Bird Act Treaty.

Meanwhile, city officials have written her stating they will review the MBT Act and confer with California Fish and Wildlife if they have any questions.

The biologist will soon be doing another physical assessment of the pond and island, looking for new signs of nesting. The city plans to add island fencing so that it is not an appealing nest site even in the absence of pond water.

Opening Doors for Homeowners since 2007

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

Door-to-Door: Continued from page 4

pants to make an imaginative stretch. But here are the results: thirteen God, no’s, or forms of God, no. One person said, “Is that what they’re going to try to do to us now?” Interestingly, there were two other expressions of this notion that there existed a malevolent elite trying to collectivize us. Four people said they were too old to participate (they weren’t) and one said she was “too busy, busy, busy.” But one very delicate lady approaching 90 thought it was a good idea and would “be fun if it wasn’t too hot out.” Three people who were open to the notion thought it would help people get to know each other, but didn’t like what they saw as a compulsory aspect. One man said, “Is this coming from Trump?”

I didn’t query the whole block because life is short and I got tired of explaining Japanese neighborhood celebrations. (Also, I got half the answers from email.) But I’ll bet these 43rd Street reactions are typical. Most of us know our immediate neighbors on either side

and across the street, and for most of us, that’s enough. We have a hard time viewing everyone on our block as teammates. But one man had a thoughtful answer. “I don’t like it,” he said, “But if I had to move over there I’d dress up or whatever and get with the program. You don’t want to be a jerk.” This coincides nicely with a Japanese proverb: “Enter the village, obey the village.”

Happily, individualism still tops forming dance troupes in our East Sac village. We don’t dress alike but time has forged lasting bonds. We’ve lived on our nucleus block 20 years and count 12 neighbors as friends: this means we visit each other’s houses, go places together, loan, borrow, share food and tools, tend and are tended when sick, and hide each other’s emergency keys. Geography has thrown us together, choice keeps us together. We’re friendly with most of the remaining neighbors, and polite with the few who stay aloof. We don’t have a logo, slogans, banners or pompoms, but we’re fine, just as the Japanese are fine as they merrily dance down the street. As one of our younger residents remarked, it’s all good.

5 Year FIXED RATE

Home Equity Line of Credit Loan

4.25% Initial APR*

CHECK THE EL DORADO ADVANTAGE: 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

FIXED RATE for 5 Years Local Processing & Servicing No Closing Costs on Qualifying Transactions Flexibility and Convenience Have Funds Available for Current and Future Needs Home Improvement, Debt Consolidation, College Tuition Interest May be Tax Deductible (Please consult your tax advisor)

Serving our local communities since 1958

www.eldoradosavingsbank.com 5500 Folsom Blvd. • 452-2613 4768 J Street • 454-4800 Se Habla Espanol • 800-874-9779

*

4.25 loan which is called the draw period. After the initial 5 year period, the APR can change once based on the value of an Index and Margin. The Index is the weekly average yield on U.S. Treasury Securities adjusted to a constant maturity of 10 years and the margin is 3.50%. The current APR for the repayment period is 5.875%. The maximum APR that can apply any time during your HELOC is 10%. A qualifying transaction consists of the following conditions: (1) the initial APR assumes a maximum HELOC of $100,000, and a total maximum Loan-to-Value (LTV) of 70% including the new HELOC and any existing 1st Deed of Trust loan on your residence; (2) your residence securing the HELOC must be a single-family home that you occupy as your primary residence; (3) if the 1st Deed of Trust loan is with a lender other than El Dorado Savings Bank, that loan may not exceed $200,000 and may not be a revolving line of credit. Additional property restrictions and requirements apply. All loans are subject to a cur-

notice. Other conditions apply. A $375 early closure fee will be assessed if the line of credit is closed within three years from the date of opening. An Rate Home Equity Line of Credit Disclosure Notice” for additional important information. Other HELOC loans are available under different terms.

14-1

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Photo by Monica Stark

Isaac Gonzalez celebrated his 36th birthday riding a stationary bike from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Central YMCA in support of the nonprofit’s involvement in Tahoe Park, enabling homeless children the opportunity to attend summer camp.

Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association president and YMCA board member held 12-hour bike-a-thon on his birthday While many people celebrate their birthday by taking the day off work and enjoying a celebratory cake, one daring Tahoe Park resident celebrated his 36th birthday riding a stationary bike in the YMCA lobby for 12 hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., as part of a community-wide effort to raise funds for the YMCA’s Y-Assist scholarship program. Isaac Gonzalez, a passionate Sacramento Central YMCA Advisory Board Member, raised $7,272 on Feb. 23, after raising more than $5,000 during his birthday bike-a-thon at the Y in 2016.

And will continue “every year until I die” he said in the final 10 minutes of his ride. “This is my birthday thing.”

Each time someone donated money to the fund, a YMCA employee rang a bell, bringing cheers of joy to the lobby. “I’m Pavlov’s dog. When the bell rings, I go nuts,” Isaac said.

The funds raised during his effort will specifically support the YMCA’s partnership with St. John’s Program for Real Change.

Each summer, the YMCA provides 30 children in need with free access to Tahoe Park YMCA’s Day Camp at no cost.

“I’m so glad to be part of the YMCA and their effort to raise money for this amazing cause once again,” says Isaac. “The kids who reap the benefits of this program are at-risk and need our help, and anything we can do to give them an enjoyable and educational experience at the Tahoe Park Community Center is well-received and appreciated by many.”

Isaac said he got involved with the Y originally because of the positive difference the nonprofit has made in Tahoe Park. “That’s why I got involved with it originally around the pool and the community center. They asked me to join the advisory board a few years ago and it has been a remarkable experience and opportunity to serve and help people who need our services.”

Currently the community center (which is located adjacent to Tahoe Elementary) is open in the summer and sporadically through out the year. They will look for more programming in the future for what the community wants. Meanwhile in the summer, it’s a hotbed of activity. Several day camps are running five days a week. “A lot of kids are coming out there. It’s a lot busier than it every was, the last five or six years for sure. Until the Y came and stepped in, the pool had been shuddered,” he said.

Additionally at the bike-a-thon, various Sacramento Central YMCA leadership, staff and volunteers biked alongside Isaac in support and to raise additional funds for the Y-Assist scholarship program, as well as to add some friendly competition and fun to the challenge.

They’re continuing to take donations at ymcasuperiorcal. org/donations/isaac-gonzalez/ As Isaac said, “We’ll take any donation, any time: a quarter, a cent, a nickel: anything you can give up.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Greenprint Summit 2016

By Corky Oakes

On January 26, 2017, the Sacramento Tree Foundation hosted its 6th Annual Greenprint Summit in Sacramento titled “Restoring Nature to our Neighborhoods.”

Attendees included Congressman Ami Bera, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, representatives from various State and local departments, public utilities, arborists and environmentally-concerned community activists from cities across northern California.

The summit opened with an emphasis on diminished tree canopies in Sacramento. The rest of the summit addressed the relationship of good mental and physical health to a robust tree canopy, successful movements to “green” other California cities, ongoing and upcoming projects in the greater Sacramento area, and programs the Sacramento Tree Foundation is either assisting in or pursuing independently.

In his opening remarks, Congressman Bera said California will need to fight “for the values of the Sacramento Tree Foundation as opposed to what “we are seeing from the new administration” in Washington D.C. “We need to provide an example for the rest of the nation by planting five million trees.” For this to occur, it will require “folks back in the community.”

Mayor Steinberg said that it isn’t just about “planting a tree” as much as what it means metaphorically. “We choose what seeds to plant, what we want to see grow.” Steinberg added that because Federal funding is an unknown, the State must set aside $80 million in State funds. He also suggested integrating some of the 1500 high school juniors, currently undergoing job training in areas of their career interest, to “help build out the tree canopy.”

Cheryl Dell, President and Publisher of the Sacramento Bee, presented an interesting history of trees in Sacramento. Some factoids included Sacramento’s first name, “City of Plains”, so named because other than trees located near the river, there Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

were only miles and miles of “grassy plains.” Dell offered a chronology from that point, 180 years ago, walking the audience through the “vision” John Sutter had in 1849 of planting trees and C.K. McClatchy being influenced by European cities such as Paris with its beautiful tree-lined boulevards. Colonel James Lloyd LaFayette Warren, a botanist originally from Massachussetts, was another contributor to the early Sacramento “green” scene. He is credited with introducing the camellia to Sacramento.

As a result of these early visionaries and others, Sacramento evolved from a city of plains to the “City of Trees” as it has known today.

Kevin Jefferson of Urban Releaf and Dan Flanagan of Friends of the Urban Forest gave participants a view of what it takes for local nonprofits, community groups and local governments to join forces in “greening” San Francisco and Oakland, while simultaneously addressing sidewalk repair as a result of tree root damage. Both speakers made the case for seeking common ground amongst organizations. Flanagan described the process of getting Prop E (Responsibility for Maintaining Street Trees and Surrounding Sidewalks) on the San Francisco ballet while Jefferson explained the tree canopy imbalance between the Oakland Hills and the “flats.” Speaking directly to this point, Jefferson described a successful project to plant trees at an Oakland school which he described as suffering from urban blight.

“No school in America should have conditions like backing up to the 880 freeway and transformers on campus. We are all in us together.” These projects took a tremendous amount of planning, meeting and cooperation. There were obstacles and setbacks along the way. In the end the audience learned and saw the achievements as a result of sheer tenacity. More local to the Sacramento area, Steve Harriman, Department of Public Works in Rancho Cordova, spoke about getting the 2014 Measure H (designed to provide funds improving ser-

vices and infrastructure) on the ballot and working to see that it passed. As a result of its passing, $100,000 was set aside to “enhance the urban forest.” The Measure H project was made possible in partnership with the Sacramento Tree Foundation. Harriman emphasized that the urban forest should be a part of a city’s infrastructure plan as it is in Rancho Cordova.

During the summit, the Sacramento Tree Foundation presented their own programs such as NeighborWoods, Sacramento Shade Tree Program, and Greenprint. All serve as examples of bringing together “local government, businesses and community groups to organize local tree planting and care programs and to educate the public about the air quality and other health benefits of a healthy urban forest.”

Of unique interest was a presentation made by Dr. Desirée Backman, Chief Prevention Officer, California Department of Health Care Services. In her “Green Prescription Study” Backman made the case for the relationship between the tree canopy and health behaviors and outcomes. The

study shows the positive effects on neighborhoods having canopies.

As any Sacramento resident can attest, not all Sacramento neighborhoods enjoy trees or the canopies they provide. There is a reason for this according to Katie Valenzuela Garcia of Valenzuela Consulting. Garcia showed a connection of past racially restricted covenants and the lack of trees. She said “Trees are a sign of social injustice” meaning that neighborhoods lacking trees are usually inhabited by lower income residents. She hopes that moving forward there will be “focus on infrastructure improvements to achieve better tree canopy and better health.”

Throughout the summit, several presenters spoke about specific projects in Sacramento and neighboring vicinities.

The projects are “Bear River Trail Habitat” (Zarah Wyly of Sacramento Tree Foundation in partnership with Yuba County Planting 5,000 native trees. 2 miles of trails at Plumas Lake); “Preserve Arcade Creek” (Tim Vendlinski is dedicated to restoring the Oak savanna); Mackay Park Re-oaking (Fatima Malik, District 2 Parks and Recreation); Morrison Creek “We See Trees” (Nailah Pope-Garden, Avondale/Glen Elder

"$5*7*45 +0#4 Work with Grassroots Campaigns on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union!

Fight Hate. Teach Tolerance. Seek Justice.

Stand Up For Equality!

EARN $400-$560 PER WEEK Full-Time/Part-Time/Career

Call Cameron at (916) 446-1100

Neighborhood Assoc. President); “Try Trees” (Eileen Pena, Principal Samuel Kennedy Elementary School) and the “Elmhurst Plan (Vicky Blocker, Elmhurst Neighborhood Association). All of these projects involve outreach to the community, be it local government, neighborhood associations or nonprofits. There are ample opportunities to volunteer.

In the words of Margaret Mead, quoted during the summit, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

The 2016 Greenprint Summit was an excellent example of how those thoughts are being put into action.

Note: The Sacramento Tree Foundation is an excellent place to get information about ongoing community projects.

If you are interested in volunteering, there are many opportunities. There will be a training class February 16th for “Citizen Scientists.” These folks monitor Elm trees in a continuing effort to guard against Dutch Elm disease.

Visit http://www.sactree. com/volunteer or call (916) 924-8733.

Call Melissa at (916) 429-9901 www.valcomnews.com

GEORGE L. KLUMPP Chapel of Flowers FD360 2691 Riverside Blvd Sacramento, CA 95818 (916) 443-7917 KlumppsFuneralHome.com A fully accommodating, caring facility; assisting families in their time of grief since 1921. Please contact Funeral Directors: Buffie M. Lynch or Michael J. Ford.

>Whho 7$ DWkcWd Ied FD366

4041 Freeport Blvd Sacramento, CA 95822 (916) 452-6157

Serving Sacramento Families since 1903.

Pre-arrangement packages available.

East Lawn Memorial Parks,

Mortuaries & Crematory

(916) 732-2000 EastLawn.com

4 Sacramento locations serving families since 1904

www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

GUNTHER’S ICE CREAM

Shop unique gifts and home decor with 80+ crafters

We Make Our Own Ice Cream

9am - 3pm

Mission Oaks Community Center l (916) 972-0336 4701 Gibbons Dr. Carmichael, Ca 95608 | MORPD.com

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm

"SUT &

Activities

UPCOMING ARTISTS:

A Sacramento Tradition since 1940 2801 Franklin Blvd. (Corner of Franklin & 3rd Ave.)

457-6646 • www.gunthersicecream.com

Craft Faire Saturday, March 11

MARCH

Bailey’s Irish Cream

Spring

- Alison Ye - Donine Wellman - Heather Robinson - Sid Wellman - Skye Becker-Yamakawa

Mini 2nd Saturday Reception

March 11, 6-9pm

SONGS OF HOPE IN TRYING TIMES

SACRAMENTO MASTER SINGERS Dr. Ralph Hughes Artistic Director & Conductor First United Methodist Church, 21st and J Streets Saturday, March 18, 2017 at 8:00 PM Sunday, March 19, 2017 at 3:00 PM www.mastersingers.org or 916.788.7464

Show runs through March, 2017 1100 65th St.

(916) 456-4455

Tour Info: TurnaroundArtists.org

March 16 2pm & 7:30pm m A nostalgic, patriotic, upbeat, sentimental salute to America’s Greatest eatest Generation

AMERICA'S GREATEST BIG BAND SHOW

www.FeGallery.com

COMMUNITY CENTER THEATER tickets.com 916-808-5181 sacramentoconventioncenter.com 1301 L Street, Sacramento

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

New Provost Ching-Hua Wang: A study in resilience

By Dixie Reid

Dr. Ching-Hua Wang, Sacramento State’s new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, was a member of China’s “sent-down generation,” one of 17 million youths torn from their families during the country’s Cultural Revolution that began in the late 1960s.

China’s Communist leader, Mao Tse-tung, ordered that schools throughout the country be closed indefinitely and that “intellectual youth” from middle school to college be sent away from cities and towns to perform hard labor in far-flung locales. Wang and 12 of her classmates were delivered to a tiny village in Inner Mongolia.

Day after day, month after month, Wang toiled in the fields.

“That’s where I developed into a very resilient person, a person who would not give up hope,” she says. “None of us, when we were on the farm, knew what would happen in the future, whether there would ever be schools opening up or not. However, in my heart of hearts, I wasn’t ready to quit studying.”

Wang still has the small trunk in which she carried books from her childhood home in Beijing to the village where she performed hard labor for six years. One of her

most precious possessions is the Oxford English Dictionary that her father sent while she was in exile. He had been relocated to Jiangxi Province, where he raised pigs and grew cabbages.

“My father was telling me, ‘Don’t give up on learning,’ ” she says. “There was no electricity in Mongolia. Because I got this dictionary, I made a little lamp for myself using a small ink bottle. I sold eggs in the village to buy kerosene to fill the ink bottle, and every night I studied the dictionary and learned English.”

Wang (she prefers the British pronunciation “Wong”) struggled for years to pursue her education. Persistence paid off: She would earn a medical degree from Beijing Medical College, a master’s in immunology from Beijing Medical University, and a doctorate in immunology from Cornell University.

‘A student-centered person through and through’ For obvious reasons, student success is close to her heart.

“I really am a student-centered person through and through,” she says. “And what I knew of President (Robert S.) Nelsen before I applied for this position is that he is studentcentered, as well. The relationship between a provost and a president is so critical to the success of a university.

Lic# 344700003

10

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

“In terms of personality, we have that chemistry and that strong student-success orientation. So I think working with him will be great.”

Wang came to Sacramento State from Dominican University of California, in San Rafael, where she served as dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences. She also was a professor of immunology and microbiology, and she managed extramural grants on the campus, raising $9.3 million from private sources and corporations.

Before she went to Dominican, she was one of the original 13 faculty members recruited to start CSU Channel Islands, in Camarillo, in 2001. In addition to teaching and doing research, she was program director for the Bridges Stem Cell Research Training Program, chair of multiple science and health science programs, and director of the Master of Science in Biotech and Bioinformatics Program. She also was a special assistant to the provost.

Wang’s introduction to the CSU had come in 1990, when she joined the faculty of CSU San Bernardino as an assistant professor of biology. By the time she left for Channel Islands in 2001, she was a full professor of immunology and microbiology, and the graduate coordinator of the biology master’s program.

Over the years, Wang visited Sacramento State for academic meetings.

“I just fell in love with the campus. I love the setting, the trees and all,” she says. “So I always knew about the University, and I had a very good impression of Sac State. This is California’s only capital university.”

Her first day at Sacramento State was Feb. 1. She is the University’s second-highestranking administrator.

Her husband, Nian-Sheng Huang, is a professor of colonial American history and world history at CSU Channel Islands. He plans to join his wife in Sacramento at the end of this semester.

Huang is a published author who specializes in early American history. Among his books are Benjamin Franklin in American Thought and Culture, 1790-1990, Franklin’s Father Josiah: Life of a Colonial Boston Tallow Chandler, 1657-1745, and Floating Pov-

erty: The Poor in EighteenthCentury Massachusetts. He’s writing his first work of fiction.

Love and perseverance amid years of hardship Wang and her husband have been married for 35 years.

They have two children: Sha and Enid Hwang (their last name is the combination of their parents’ surnames), both born in Ithaca, N.Y., when their parents were doctoral students at Cornell. Both are working in the technology sector in New York City.

The couple have known each other since their middle school years in Beijing. Huang was one of the 13 students “sent down” to the village with her, and it was there that they fell in love.

One day while cutting wheat in the fields, Wang badly injured herself with a sharp sickle blade. The village had no medical care, and the deep gash soon became infected. The villagers, taking pity on the young girl, asked her to teach their children in the one-room schoolhouse.

She sometimes shared her food with her students, who came from families in extreme poverty. She encouraged them to continue their schooling.

She knew how precious educational opportunities were to the social and economic mobility of children from impoverished families.

Three years after Wang was separated from her family, Chairman Mao allowed schools and universities to reopen across China. Her 12 former classmates began to leave the village, one by one.

“I didn’t want to go to work in the city just for the sake of earning a salary. I wanted to continue learning,” she says.

“I wanted to go to college and study English. I was denied the first time I tried.”

By the following year, she was the village’s only remaining former Beijing student. “When the college recruitment happened, again I applied to study foreign language. I was denied for the second time.”

Puzzled, she approached commune leaders for an explanation. They had dossiers on the sent-down students.

“They looked into my file and said, ‘Well, no wonder you were denied. Your father’s relative went to Taiwan when the Communists took over China.’ That deemed me not polit-

ically suitable to study foreign language. I thought, ‘It seems that’s the end of my dream to go to college.’ ” By the end of her fifth year in exile, believing she might never attend college, she joined a teacher-training program in a nearby city. However, a budget crisis soon ended the program, and she returned to the village. A year later, she took the college entrance exams for the third time.

“A recruiter recognized the situation, my prior two times of rejection,” she says.“He said, ‘Why don’t you go to medical school?’ I said, ‘That’s not my interest.’ He said,‘This will help you go to college, and studying Western medicine will require you to study foreign language.’

So I went to college.

“To be a doctor, it doesn’t matter whether you have relatives in Taiwan or not, according to the government standard.

“Because of all of those years of hardship … I don’t easily give up.”

After finishing medical school, Wang pursued a master’s of science degree in immunology at Beijing Medical University, graduating in 1981.

She wanted to come to the United States for her doctorate in immunology, because China had no doctoral programs at the time. She applied to a dozen American universities and was accepted by all. Cornell University offered a full scholarship. She and Huang married a few months before she left China.

“My medical school didn’t want me to leave,” Wang says.

“After several months, they said, ‘Maybe you should get married and then you will be allowed to leave.’ I had to write a promissory note saying that my husband is remaining in China, and I’m going to the United States to do a Ph.D. and then afterwards I will return. But then he left, too.”

Huang was admitted to Tufts University to study American history and went on to Cornell for his doctorate in colonial American history. At long last, he had been reunited with his wife.

“My children keep telling me that I should write a book about my story,” Wang says.

Dixie Reid is a writer for the CSUS newsroom. Source: www. csus.edu/sacstatenews Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

CONSTRUCTiON/HAULiNg

ADDiTiON SPECiALiST

ELECTRiCAL CONTRACTOR

CaPitoL eLeCtRiC Reasonable Residential & Commercial Work since 1960 Repairs, Trouble Shooting Custom Lighting/FREE Est. Excellent ref from Angie’s List

(916) 451-2300 Cell: 213-3740 Neil Mcintire –– C.S.L.# 394307

CLEANiNg

CREATURE CATCHERS/REMOVAL

fENCiNg

HANDYMAN

HANDYMAN

Winter Yard Clean-up Specials!

• HAULING & YARD CLEAN-UP Call LESTER • RAIN GUTTER CLEANING • CONCRETE REMOVAL (916) 838-1247 • HEDGE TRIMMING /SHRUB REMOVAL Lic#128758/Ref • PRESSURE WASHING Pressure wash your driveways clean! your decks, too!

Clean out your garage! Replace that old lawn!

Hard work—not a problem!

SPECIALS FOR SENIORS/*SERVING THE AREA FOR OVER 20 YRS*

HANDYMAN

HARDwOOD fLOORiNg

HOME ORgANizATiON

D & H Service Office: 916-428-5907 Cell: 916-206-8909 Interior and exterior painting Fence Installation Tile Installation 25 years of experience Dry Rot Repair

LANDSCAPiNg

PAiNTiNg

PAiNTiNg

PAiNTiNg

4 papers, 1 low price! advertise your service in this section, today!

Call 429-9901 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

11

pLumbing

rOOfing

Rooney’s Plumbing

KELLY ROOFING

FULL SERVICE PLUMBING

456-7777 rooneysplumbing.com License #683668

rOOf/gutter cLeaning

We’ve got you covered

3675 R Street Sacramento, California 95816

Herb Kelly 916.591.9189

East Sac Specialists 454-3667

25 years quality service

zimroof.com License #763169 Dave Zimmerman

Lic#692638

sHeLving

rOOfing/siding

tiLe WOrK

tiLe WOrK

tractOr WOrK

BAXTER TILE EXPERT INSTALLATION REMODELING & REPAIR

Ceramic • Marble • Granite Floors • Counters • Walls 33 Years Experience • FREE Estimates

916-213-4669 License #668100

tree & gardening service

Tax pREpaRER #1 CONCIERGE Tax pREpaRER

34 yrs. exp. We specialize in Business Tax returns including Corp & Partnerships.

FREE Pick-up & Delivery to those who qualify. We prepare expertly all past tax returns including all State returns. Get the most deductions allowed to you by law. CTEC + IRS Registered & Bonded. Please call for your appt. today. Irene Senst (916) 640-3820 CA, (775) 410-3422 NV. Same low 1990 rates. www.taxirene.info • taxireneinfo@gmail.com

haNdymaN haNdymaN sERvICEs

No job too small. Make your “to-do� list and give me a call. Electrical, Plumbing, Tile, Sheetrock,Plaster, Stucco, Repairs and Remodeling, you name it! lic# 908942. Call steven at 230-2114.

haNdymaN

ClEaN-up spECIals!

Rain Gutter cleaning– Yard clean-up. Rain gutter cleaning, pressure washing/power spray, hauling, yard work, painting, tree & shrub removal, clean-up, fence repairs, light tree trimming, & more. Ref avail. Call Les at 8381247. 18 yrs. exp.specials for seniors. licensed

Senior legal ServiCeS

WILLS AND TRUSTS Services Y 5CFFM ;H> 2LOMNM Y 1J?=C;F ,??>M 2LOMNM Y 2LOMN >GCHCMNL;NCIH

Experience +?>C !;F 7?;LM Y $L;H=CM? 2;R I;L> 7?;LM Y .LCP;N? .L;=NC=? 7?;LM Y

Free In-Home Consultation

Tim Tyler, Ph.D., Attorney at Law 916-452-0624 12

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

$"4) 1"*% '03 %*"#&5*$ 5&45 453*14 8F QBZ VQ UP QFS CPY DBTI PO UIF TQPU PRICES VARY DEPENDING ON BRAND

QUANTITY AND EXPIRATION DATE We offer FAST PICKUP at a location that is conveniently located near you.

#PYFT NVTU CF VOPQFOFE BOE VOFYQJSFE &OR 0ROMPT !TTENTION 0LEASE #ALL 2ACHEL AT

(916) 505-4673

SPECIAL ALZHEIMER’S LIVING

BOOkkEEpING #1 CONCIERGE BOOkkEEpER

34 years exp. in industries like Auto, Mechanics, Restaurants, Caterers, Massage, Doctors, Chiropractors, Non-Profits, Retail, Marshal Arts, Barber, Construction, Wholesale, Investment Clubs, Corp, Partnerships, Small Business. We are experts in General Ledger, Payroll, Profit & Loss & Quarterlies. Call for your concierge appt. Same low 1990 rates. Ask for Irene Senst (916) 640-3820, Nevada (775) 410-3422. www.taxirene.info • taxireneinfo@gmail.com

casey.s@chancellorhealthcare.com www.reverecourt.com

(916) 392-3510

#1 CONCIERGE BusINEss sERvICEs

Put our 34 years in Concierge Business Support Service to work for your business. We provide support in: Licensing, Business & Corp Start-ups or Closures, Basic web design, Set-up social media. Business Concierge Shopping, Marketing and much more.

Please contact Irene Senst (916) 6 4 0 - 3 8 2 0 C A , ( 7 7 5 ) 4 1 0 - 3 4 2 2 N V. www.taxirene.info • taxireneinfo@gmail.com

FOR RENT SHORT TERM RENTAL - May through September.

Lovely 3 bedroom Curtis Park home. Fully furnished.

Call Carol, (315) 730-0207.

Lic. #347001338/342

Day Club, Respite, Residential, Support Groups & Educational Classes

BusINEss sERvICEs

advERTIsE yOuR RENTals

Call 429-9901

for a box

Classified ad

Call Melissa 429-9901

7707 Rush River Dr. Sacto, CA 95831 Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

What’s

happening

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING WITH TYEHIMBA KOKAYI –Black History Month will be celebrated with a musical demonstration of the drums of West Africa! Drummer and dancer Tyehimba Kokayi will tell attendees of the music of West Africa, perform with different types of drums, and will even let the audience try out their drumming skills! This school-age program takes place Friday, March 3, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

TUESDAY, MARCH 7 READ TO A DOG AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Read to a Dog is a fun and proven method for children to boost their reading skills by reading to a trained therapy dog. Children may bring their own books or borrow a book from the library’s collection. Tuesday, March 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

READ TO A DOG AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Read to a Dog is a fun and proven method for children to boost their reading skills by reading to a trained therapy dog. Children may bring their own books or borrow a book from the library’s collection. Tuesday, March 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9 THE MARINE CORPS ALL-STAR JAZZ BAND JOINS SACRAMENTO STATE’S JAZZ ENSEMBLES for their next concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 9, in the Capistrano Concert Hall on campus, 6000 J St. The University’s jazz ensembles have been honored by Downbeat magazine and the Next Generation Jazz festival for many years. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 seniors, and $5 students, at (916) 278-4323 or www. csus.edu/hornettickets. Contact (916) 278-5155.

FRIDAY, MARCH 10 EXPLORING THE INTERNET AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – This free class will introduce computer users to browsers, bookmarks, search engines, storage “in the cloud,” internet safety, online shopping, learning and entertainment, health and wellness sites and more! Prior to taking this class you should know how to use the mouse and keyboard. Registration is required and spots are limited! Go to www.saclibrary.org/events to reserve

your spot, or ask for help at your local library. Friday, March 10 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

MINECRAFT GAMING AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Like building and creating new worlds in Minecraft? Come join us for an afternoon of Minecraft gaming! Each player will be given their own computer to battle with friends on our library server or build new creations and in creative, survival, or hardcore mode. Players of any level of experience are welcome to join. This school-age/ teen program takes place Friday, March 10 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

MCKINLEY PARK FOOD TRUCK MANIA: SactoMoFo and Sacramento City Councilman Jeff Harris present Food Truck Mania from 5 to 8 p.m. at McKinley Park, 601 Alhambra Blvd.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11 PUBLIC HOUSE THEATER PRESENTS RANDALL FEST 2017: Randall Fest is back at Public House Theater for Beer Week! From 3 to 7 p.m., there will be several unique randalls on tap and ready for you to enjoy. Advertised as the only Randall Fest in the state along with talented live musicians, PHT confirmed Two Rivers Cider Company, Bike Dog, Blue Note Brewing Company, and Sactown Union Brewery, Fountainhead brewery. Additionally, there will be food for sale from Pipin’ Hot Smokers BBQ. Public House Theater, 5440 14th Ave., 95820.

KARAJ ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE AT PHT: Karaj is a Bay Area songwriter with a taste for spare arrangements and insightful lyrics. Many songs are inspired by open spaces and Western states. Wandering the pacific coast and beyond, playing home grown original songs plus more by great songwriters near and far. Concert will occur from 7 to 9 p.m. at Public House Theater, 5440 14th Ave. SPECIAL CSUS CONCERT AT SACRED HEART: Sacramento State’s three choirs celebrate “The Music Makers” with a special concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 11, in Sacred Heart Church, 39th & J streets.

Two settings of O’Shaughnessy’s poem “The Music Makers” are featured by composers Eric Nelson and Donald Kendrick. Plus works by Caracciolo and Omiccioli, and choral works from Finland, Russia, Greece and more. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 seniors, and

East Sacramento? $5 students, at (916) 278-4323 or www.csus.edu/hornettickets. Contact 278-5155.

THURSDAY, MARCH 16 SACRAMENTO SPCA AND SACTOWN UNION BREWERY PRESENTS ST. PADDY’S YAPPY HOUR: From 6 to 8 p.m., dress up you and your pooch in your favorite green attire to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day a day early and enjoy: -$1 from every pint sold benefits the Sacramento SPCA -Raffle Prizes up for grabs -Food Truck -Adoptable dogs -TBD: Possible Irish band and costume contest Sactown Union Brewery is located at 1210 66th St., Unit B

FRIDAY, MARCH 17 LEGO MANIA! AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY– Like building with LEGOs? Join us for our monthly LEGO free-play afternoon! LEGOs and DUPLO LEGOs will be provided for this family program. Friday, March 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

HIGHWAY WEST TO PERFORM AT ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION: The Public House Theater will celebrate the luck of the Irish with catered corn beef, cabbage and potato dinner paired with a local stout. Featuring music from Highway 50 West. Public House Theater, 5440 14th Ave.

FRIDAY, MARCH 24 PROM DRIVE GIVEAWAY AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Teens, need to find a way to make Prom more affordable? Then join us for the Prom Drive giveaway. Try on dresses, suits, shoes, and accessories to take for free with a valid student ID! Adults must be accompanied by teens. Limit of one outfit per person. Dressing rooms will be provided. Saturday, March 25, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

ONGOING MCKINLEY PARK FOOD TRUCK MANIA: SactoMoFo and Sacramento City Councilman Jeff Harris present Food Truck Mania from 5 to 8 p.m. at McKinley Park, 601 Alhambra Blvd. every second Friday of the month. The beer garden benefits Friends of Front Street Shelter.

TAHOE PARK FOOD TRUCK MANIA: SactoMoFo, Councilman Eric Guerra, Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna and the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association present Tahoe Park Food Truck Mania from 5 to 8 p.m. every fourth Friday of the month. The beer garden benefits Friends of Front Street Shelter.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION IS SEEKING LOCAL HOST FAMILIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL EXCHANGE STUDENTS: ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE), in cooperation with your community high school, is looking for local families to host boys and girls between the ages of 15 to 18 from a variety of countries: Norway, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Japan, to name a few.

ASSE students are enthusiastic and excited to experience American culture while they practice their English. They also love to share their own culture and language with their host families. Host families welcome these students into their family, not as a guest, but as a family member, giving everyone involved a rich cultural experience.

The exchange students have pocket money for personal expenses and full health, accident and liability insurance. ASSE students are selected based on academics and personality, and host families can choose their student from a wide variety of backgrounds, countries and personal interests.

To become an ASSE Host Family or to find out how to become involved with ASSE in your community, please call the ASSE Western Regional Office at 1-800-733-2773 or go to www.host.asse.com to begin your host family application. Students are eager to learn about their American host family, so begin the process of welcoming your new son or daughter today!

KNITTING CIRCLE AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Any adult interested in knitting — even an absolute beginner — is invited to join. Participants can learn to knit, or get help on current projects and advice from expert knitters. Don’t forget to bring your knitting needles and yarn. Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

TEEN SPACE AT MCKINLEY LIBRARY – Looking for something fun to do after school? Need a place where you’re free to hang out with your friends and have a snack? Come to the McKinley Library Teen Space, Wednesdays from 3p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at McKinley Library, 601 Alhambra Blvd, Sacramento.

Experience Knowledgable & Loyal

JANET GATEJEN 916.420.8418 916.420.8 20.8418 20.8

Selling Homes for Over 30 Years!

U RBAN R B A N H OUND OUN OU N D P ROPERTIES R O PE PER R TIE TIES S . COM COM Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

#00895397

www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

13

LIFE

my mom put them into the cupboards. All of my sisters and brothers gathered in the living room while we waited for our dad to turn on the television.

We enjoyed watching television shows together in the living

By Jan Dalske room. Dad selected the channels East Sacramento News and the shows that we watched.

Saturday nights at our house There was not enough room were usually family nights. for the whole family to sit on When we had all finished hav- the couch, so Rodney and ing dinner, my mom and I Timothy usually sat on the worked together getting the cold hardwood floor. On windishes washed and dried. Then ter nights when it was cold, our

in the Village

mom brought them a blanket to sit on. And to warm up the room, our dad would bring in the pieces of chopped firewood that he kept outside. He built a nice warm fire in our brick fireplace. The little ones, Rita and Wayne, were lucky as they were cozy in their playpen with plenty of blankets and pillows.

We were never allowed to turn on the television or adjust the channels or the rabbit ears, as Dad called them. Our parents were the only ones

that were allowed to do that.

My mom and dad enjoyed all musical shows. Our dad told us that there was a new show called The Lawrence Welk Show that would be broadcast every Saturday night. We loved this new show and really liked to listen to the music and watch the band play and all of the singers and the dancers.

Everybody seemed so happy.

Lawrence Welk was from the part of the United States where my parents were born. He was

born in North Dakota and spoke German. My parents were both from Wisconsin and their families spoke German when they were growing up.

The music that was on the show was the music that my parents listened to and loved to dance along to. They were very good at dancing what was called the Polka. Sometimes mom and dad would dance along to the music in the living room. They were great dancers. We tried to dance along with the music but we did not know the right steps. When I got older I wanted to learn how to dance like they did. Maybe I could dance with my father, and he could twirl me around like he did my mom when they danced along to Lawrence Welk’s music.

We also played games. But Mom and Dad showed us how to play the board games, as they were called. But they hardly ever played with us. Some of the games we played were fun and some of them were boring.

We played checkers the most.

Whoever lost the games would have to wait to play the next game. Rodney was pretty good at checkers. He seemed to know all of the right moves. Timothy and Rodney also liked to play with the tinker toys. They came up with strange designs, and then knocked them over.

When the Lawrence Welk Show was over and I was tired of playing checkers, I went to find a book to read. My teacher had given me some books when school was out. She told me to bring them back when summer vacation was over. I liked to sit down with Timothy and teach him to read some of the words in my books. He was a quick learner, and that would help him when he was in Kindergarten classes.

We had to take turns getting ready for bed after the family night activities were over. I liked to go first, so that I could have the bathroom to myself. With just one bathroom for all of the kids, it was always hard to have privacy. I could not wait to grow up, move out, and have my own bed and bathroom. But that was many years away. In the meantime, I would just have to try to get ready for bed before the other kids. The boys were waiting in line when I opened the bathroom door. They asked me what took me so long. Boys!

Rodney and Timothy elbowed each other to get past me. The See Village, page 15

14

East Sacramento News • March 2, 2017 • www.valcomnews.com

Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

“40 years of accomplishment” since the flight from Laos Hmong exhibit showcased culture with school community

By Pat Lynch

At the entrance stood a shimmering tree of lights adorned with white tags, each tag featuring a Hmong name. “ This is a Unity Tree,” explained Mai Chee Angel Lor. She said the tags were Hmong family names. “ They show how everyone is all connected and related.” Her brother, Anthony Chee Meng Lor, nodded approvingly.

This was the initial display greeting visitors at the first Sacramento Hmong Story and Exhibit ( Hmong Story 40) Feb. 11 through Feb 25 at the Serna Center).

The overall exhibit, impressive and carefully crafted, provided a vivid antidote to what one official called “the ugly verbiage coming out of DC these days.” In contrast, the Hmong event was a positive, flourishing display where Hmong community members celebrated 40 years of the Hmong presence in America, showcasing Hmong history, art, food and dance.

Beautiful, intricate tapestry was featured everywhere.

Bright and elaborately fashioned costumes were also in abundance, and children performed ceremonial dances and routines that pleased the large audience, especially the parents and family members who craned to see their young on stage.

School Board Trustee Mai Yang Vang, the first elected Hmong official in Sacramento and an event team member, spoke enthusiastically in Hmong and English. Other speakers did the same. This had the effect of making everyone feel welcome, the older Hmong speaking people as well as English speakers who came to see the show. The dual language presentation honored the Hmong language not as merely the old language, but as a persistently dynamic and cherished aspect of Hmong culture.

The program sought, successfully, to integrate past and present, to celebrate the continuum as an old Valley Community Newspapers, Inc.

and revered culture adapts to a new country.

After introductory comments Youa Xiong gave an inspiring rendition of the U.S. national anthem, and the large crowd stood and cheered.

Susan B. Anthony Elementary School (from the Hmong Dual Language Program) performed a bi-lingual song and did a dance that also charmed the audience.

A recognition of Chue Bee and Nhia Khang, one of the first Hmong couples to establish a family in the Sacramento region met with appreciative applause.

The chief thrust of the performances and colorful displays was identity. More than one speaker employed the quote, “The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of their history.” Events like this help older refugees to reclaim their history, while younger participants, many born here, are enriched by the celebration of their roots. However the exhibit had a deeper meaning than contemporary ethnic celebrations like the Irish wearing green on St. Patrick’s day. That’s because the Irish have become over time fully absorbed into American culture. The Hmong haven’t been here long enough to escape all the vicissitudes that plague immigrants: isolation, culture clash and the erosion of the old culture while adjusting to the new.

Still, enormous progress has been made, and was justly celebrated.

Modern immigrants like the Hmong have a refugee status, like European immigrants of older times.

The Exhibit program offered an eloquent historical testimony of their journey.

“After fighting and losing The Secret War to protect ‘their’ homeland in Laos, after crossing the Mekong Delta to live in squalor…in the refugee camps in Thailand,” they crossed the Pacific Ocean “for a strange land.”

After 40 years that strange land is not so strange: it is their own. They are now,

they declare, “realizing the American Dream.”

Along the way of immigration some of the great treasures of the past may be lost—language, custom, a defining aesthetic. The exhibit succeeded in its effort to recover some of that, to celebrate it. Giving Hmong people and others who gathered the gift of Hmong history kept the past alive, and honored it. The very large crowds moved slowly but cooperatively, pausing to study displays that highlighted a touted “40 years of accomplishment” since the flight from Laos. Photos, embroidery, traditional dress and testimonies combine to bring the Hmong story alive.

Hmong Story 40 organizers hosted many local political leaders, all of whom expressed enthusiasm for the exhibit and pledged continued support for immigrant programs.

The theme of the exhibit was best expressed by these published program sentiments: “The United States is a melting pot of many cultures.

It is the blending of our differences that makes this country so great. However, during the

assimilation process our own identity, heritage and history can be lost. Through this exhibit we have strived to tell the Hmong story, with the realization that this isn’t exclusively a Hmong story…it’s an American story.”

This American story featuring American with Hmong heritage will be shown at the Serna Center, 5735 47th St. until Feb. 25.

Village:

Continued from page 14

first thing they did was raise the toilet seat cover. Time for me to leave. I think they did that to get me out of the way quicker. I guess Linda would be the next one in line. Mom would get Rita and Wayne ready for bed. Pretty soon Rita would be sleeping in the room where Linda and I had our double bed. That would be different for us.

Three was a crowd.

Understand the ramifications of

PACE and Hero Loans It is important that the public should be properly informed about these new energy loans.

Call us for more detailed information, know the consequences and the benefits of these loans before you sign the contract!

Providing quality adult day services since 1992

Mention this ad and receive $50 off your enrollment

(916) 808-1591 | www.TripleR.org Locations in Midtown, North Sacramento & Greenhaven Licensed by the State of California, Dept. of Social Services www.valcomnews.com • March 2, 2017 • East Sacramento News

15

r Ove %

70

sale $597

sale $48

906297

REG $676

rocker recliner 199112

REG $198

chairside table

REG $847

coffee table

sale $396

443068

l ona casi c o s hi !

Off t set

sale $396 REG $676

end table 926252

sale $97

sale $998 REG 1398

931539

$

682182

3 PC entertainment wall

REG $398

coffee table

sale $367

sale $756

accent cabinet

5 PC counter-height dining set

REG $1226

REG $527 458052

480761

sale $67

E % V A S 0

REG $258

703610

end table

floo oorr samp samp mple le

4 15

closeout

Power g!

Reclinin

1,400

$

sale sa le

SAVE

sale $138 REG 198 $

storage bench

10 ’ fur 0 s ite nitur m e

of

s!

sale $398

REG $498

cheval mirror

Lea

t he

r!

839483

sale $128 REG $178

leaning shelf 272625

sale $3397 REG $4797

for BOTH sofa & loveseat!!

618746

587791

sale $346 REG $656

upholstered bed

Hurry!

037677

All product limited to stock on hand!

12125 Folsom Blvd.

Mon – Fri 10am – 8pm Rancho Cordova Sat 10am – 6pm Sun 11am – 6pm 916-351-0227 www.naturwood.com

*Sale prices are not available in conjunction with any other offer or discount. All sizes are approximate.

Colors may vary from what is shown in ad. All product limited to stock on hand.

Sale Ends 3/26/17.